Manage Field Service Scheduling Overlaps

Fix Overlaps Features When Using Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization

If you’re using Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization, several fix overlaps features are available.

• Fix Schedule Overlaps Flow (Beta): Using Salesforce Flow, you can initiate a Resource Schedule Optimization request when an overlap is detected, based on event-driven criteria.  The flow identifies and resolves overlaps that occur when a mobile worker finishes an appointment late on the day of service. If service appointments can't be scheduled due to a lack of availability, higher priority work and other objectives in the scheduling policy determine which service appointments to schedule and which to drop.
• Resource Schedule Optimization: Dispatchers can use this feature to reschedule appointments that overlap with other appointments or absences, for one service resource’s schedule, on any given date. This feature can schedule additional relevant work and attempt to further optimize a resource’s schedule in addition to fixing overlaps. If service appointments can't be scheduled due to a lack of availability, higher priority work and other objectives in the scheduling policy determine which service appointments to schedule and which to drop.
• In-Day Optimization and Global Optimization: When running global optimization or in-day optimization, overlaps are fixed regardless of the status of the Fix Overlaps setting in the scheduling policy. Optimization always attempts to fix overlaps unless service appointments are pinned. If service appointments can't be scheduled due to a lack of availability, higher priority work and other objectives in the scheduling policy determine which service appointments to schedule and which to drop.

Fix Overlaps Features When Not Using Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization

If you’re not using Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization, several fix overlaps features are available.

• Scheduling recipes: This feature provides several configurable, event-driven automations to trigger a Resource Schedule Optimization request. For example, you can create a scheduling recipe that triggers a Resource Schedule Optimization request when an appointment ends late and causes an overlap with another appointment. If service appointments can't be scheduled due to a lack of availability, higher priority work and other objectives in the scheduling policy determine which service appointments to schedule and which to drop.
• Fix overlaps in the Gantt: Dispatchers can use this feature to reschedule appointments that overlap with other appointments or absences, for one service resource’s schedule. Overlapping appointments are rescheduled according to your configured settings. For example, choose whether unscheduled appointments are rescheduled in order of priority or keep the original schedule’s order. If Field Service can’t find a valid schedule for an appointment, you can define whether to put the appointment in jeopardy, unschedule it, or reshuffle other assignments. This feature doesn’t schedule any additional work or optimize a resource’s schedule. Fixing overlaps in the Gantt isn’t available when scheduling recipes are used.
• Fix Overlaps in scheduling policies: If you select Fix Overlaps in a scheduling policy, service appointment overlaps are addressed during in-day or global optimization. Scheduling policies reschedule and fix service appointment overlaps for all resources in the optimized territories. Service appointments that overlap with resource absences are ignored. If service appointments can't be scheduled due to a lack of availability, higher priority work and other objectives in the scheduling policy determine which service appointments to schedule and which to drop.
• Resource Schedule Optimization: Dispatchers can use this feature to reschedule appointments that overlap with other appointments or absences, for one service resource’s schedule, on any given day. This feature considers the service appointment’s priority value, and it can also schedule additional relevant work and attempt to further optimize a resource’s schedule in addition to fixing overlaps. If service appointments can't be scheduled due to a lack of availability, higher priority work and other objectives in the scheduling policy determine which service appointments to schedule and which to drop. 

Use Cases

Review which feature to use for each use case and whether the feature is available with Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization.

I WANT TO…	WHAT STEPS DO I TAKE?	AVAILABLE WHEN USING ENHANCED SCHEDULING AND OPTIMIZATION	AVAILABLE WHEN NOT USING ENHANCED SCHEDULING AND OPTIMIZATION	PERSONA
Manually fix overlapping appointments directly from the Gantt, causing a minimum amount of changes to the schedule	Fix Overlaps from the Dispatcher Console			Dispatcher
Reschedule appointments that overlap with other appointments or absences, for one service resource’s schedule.	Resource Schedule Optimization			Dispatcher
Automatically detect and fix scheduling overlaps on the Gantt.	Fix Schedule Overlaps flow (Beta)			Admin
	Fix Overlaps Automatically			Admin
	Scheduling Recipes			Admin
Fix overlaps while optimizing the schedule.	Overlaps are always fixed when using enhanced optimization (Global, In-day or Resource Scheduling Optimization).			Admin
	If you aren’t using enhanced optimization, use the Fix Overlaps option in the scheduling policy.
Resolve overlaps that occur when a mobile worker finishes an appointment late.	Fix Schedule Overlaps flow (Beta)			Admin
	Scheduling recipes
Resolve overlaps created by emergency appointments.	Resource Schedule Optimization			Admin
	Scheduling recipes